Melting Pot discussion forum brings world of ideas to Colours of Ostrava

With the huge Colours music festival, Ostrava is currently the focus of the
arts scene in the Czech Republic. But it’s not just about bands: The
event’s Melting Pot is a thriving discussion forum that gives
festivalgoers a rare opportunity to interact with eminent speakers from
around the world.

However, for many the festival’s Melting Pot discussion forum has grown
to become just as big a draw as its pop stars and world music acts.

Indeed, this year’s edition of the flourishing section features 150
speakers – including writers, scientists and economists – appearing at
six different venues across the four days of Colours.

Melting Pot is headed by Petra Hniková Charmite.

“Each stage is organised according to a particular theme. For
instance,
the Global Stage is focused on topical world problems.

“On Saturday we have a whole day devoted to fake news and today we
have
famous international journalists speaking about their areas of
expertise.

“We get a lot of positive feedback. Some people say they don’t
even get
around to watching the concerts at Colours – they come at noon and have
trouble even making it to all the lectures they’re interested
in.”

Barbara Winton, photo: Ian Willoughby
Among the guests at this year’s Melting Pot have been Barbara Winton,
daughter of the late Sir Nicholas Winton, Bruno Murian, dubbed a
“futuristic monk”, and former CIA agent Joseph Wippl.

Also here has been anti-warfare campaigner Scilla Elworthy, who presented
her book The Business Plan for Peace at a former gasworks. Afterwards she
developed on her message to the mainly young audience.

“I think it’s incredible. The people who stood in line to get my
book
just now, it touches something in them that says, What can I do? And it
gives them the answer.

“And the answer is, Tell me what breaks your heart.

“They tell me, It’s refugees or abandoned dogs or whatever and I
say,
OK, match that with your skill. Are you good at social media or
crowdfunding or whatever? Put them together and go for it.”

Alongside the 60-odd international guests at Melting Point there has also
been a high concentration of notable Czech participants, such as YouTuber
Kovy and the dancer turned rapper Miřenka Čechová.

“For a few day, maybe for a week, Ostrava becomes the centre of the
Czech
Republic, I would say.

“With almost 50,000 visitors, with around 800 different actors and
lecturers it really attracts hordes of people.

“What I really like here is not only the industrial environment but
the
fact that almost everybody can find here something important, something
interesting, from almost scientific, or popular science, lectures to techno
music.”